New York culture competition:The New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman won the 2014 Brendan Gill Prize by The Municipal Art Society of New York. The cash prize award recognizes a work of art that “best captures the spirit and energy of New York City.” This follows the news that New York-based Bloomberg News cut architecture critic James Russell's column in an effort to downsize the outlet's cultural coverage. [The Municipal Art Society of New York]
Architecture has great critics in LA, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Dallas, NY, SF, but it deserves more, not fewer. Shame on Bloomberg.
— Michael Kimmelman (@kimmelman)
March 10, 2014
Ten years ago, on March 11, 2004, a series of bombings in four Madrid train stations killed 191 people. A memorial service marking the ten year anniversary was held Tuesday at the Almudena Cathedral, dedicated in 1993 by Pope John Paul II.
Three More Stories Driving the Day:
Like a scene from The Day After Tomorrow: A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters claims that the Statue of Liberty, the Tower of London, the Syndey Opera House, and nearly one-fifth of all world heritage sites will be affected by rising sea levels caused by climate change. [The Guardian]
The latest real estate trend is the “hackable building”—that is, a building constructed for a particular use but due to changing market demands or preferences must be used for alternative purposes. [The Washington Post]
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada awarded their Gold Medal to Peter Busby of Perkins+Will. [The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada; h/t Perkins+Will]
85: The age of the Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe and textile designer Lilly Reich for the German Pavilion at the International Exposition in Barcelona. Architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable named it "the Rolls Royce of furniture,” while author Tom Wolfe sarcastically wrote of it as “the most perfect piece of furniture in the 20th century." [The Wall Street Journal]
Step Up, Step Down:
Russ Ramsey and Ted Leonsis are the new chair and vice-chair, respectively, for the group trying to bring the olympics to D.C. [Washington Business Journal]
John F. Kennedy Center board members selected Davis Construction Corp. for pre-construction services for the center’s proposed 65,000-square-foot, $125 million expansion, designed by Steven Holl Architects. [Washington Business Journal]
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